VALE BREWING

The McLaren Vale Beer Company was founded in 2008 by a couple of craft beer loving mates from Adelaide. As fans of great food, wine and regional produce, they had come to spend many weekends and holidays in McLaren Vale.

Over time, they realized a beer producer could add another dimension to the region’s offering. It’s often said that behind every great wine is great beer… and there certainly are plenty of local winemakers who fancy a knock-off brew or two! The brewery is in Willunga where head brewer Jeff Wright leads a team of proud South Aussies who are passionately committed to the craft styles they create.

In March 2015, South Australian brothers Tim, Pete and Michael Collin, the long term majority shareholders of Mclaren Vale Beer Company, bought out former shareholders, Greg Mackay and Mark Rogers, now making the company 100% family owned.

With the new ownership structure comes the new name; Vale Brewing. While these are significant changes, fans can be assured that the Vale Brewing offering will continue to build on the strength of the core range Vale Cider and Dr Pilkington's Miracle Cider will also continue to be produced in partnership with Chapel Hill Winery in McLaren Vale.

Their cellar door at Red Poles opened in 2013 and presents the best beer garden in the region. Enjoy the beer tasting paddles in the ambient courtyard or relax on the lawns.

Tasting paddles of the 4 beers are $10 each.

Vale Brewing Offers

Vale Brewing's five core beers include:

The beloved Vale Ale

An Australian Pale Ale with a refreshing balance of malt, hops and yeast characters. Hop additions of Amarillo and Cascade give a wonderful fresh crisp finish with lingering flavours of citrus, passionfruit and peaches. The hop flavours and aromas are matched beautifully with the sweet honey finish from crystal malt.

The New World Lager

This is our interpretation of what a new world craft lager should be. Approachable, balanced and flavoursome. This beer is filtered for smooth and refreshing crispness with medium carbonation. The 100% malted grain profile is a combination of pilsner, carapils and light munich, whilst the hop bill includes the noble German hop Tettnang, Australian Helga and NZ Pacifica. The sweet malt characters are balanced by the earthy spice and fresh citrus kick and floral notes derived from the hops.

The Vale Amber

Designed using Pale, Munich, Crystal and Carafa roasted malt. A filtered beer with brilliant clarity, dark brown in colour with ruby and garnet highlights. It has a strong malt backbone with hints of coffee, chocolate and cocoa that balance the use of the Falconer's Flight hops, giving rise to citrus, pine and vanilla flavours and aromas. The combination of dark malt and hops with lager yeast delivering a crisp, clean dark beer.

The Vale IPA

An Australian style interpretation of an American IPA, using a combination of hops from three countries. Galaxy from Australia, Nelson Sauvin from New Zealand and Citra from United States. Malt flavours are derived from the combination of wheat, pale and crystal. Very hop forward showing strong pine and citrus notes, with stone fruit and passionfruit characters. The malt structure is beautifully matched with the dry hopping, giving this beer a refined balance.

The Mid Coast

The newest in the range, the Bright Ale is brewed on site at our Willunga brewery. On the palate, it is bright, clean and fresh. The biscuity malt characters burst onto the front palate before the hops kick in with citrus and mandarin notes, followed by a refreshing bitter finish. All Australian hops used; Victoria's Secret, Australian Cascade and Topaz. Bright Ale Media Release.

We also offer their Dr Pilkington’s Miracle Cider made from fresh apples.